Sociology Paper

Term Paper

Introduction to Sociology

Instructor: DePhillips

Goal

The goal of this paper is to analyze a feature film using the sociological imagination and analytic tools developed in the class. You can pick any movie with social themes, or pick one from the suggested movies list below. See the PowerPoints and textbook chapters for possible social themes to focus on. You are to watch the movie and write a 4-5 page paper breaking it down. Use 12-pt. font with 1-inch margins on all sides, double-spaced, which is the manuscript format you should use for all academic essays.

What you need to do

I. Take notes while you are watching the movie, and pause it when necessary. There are a lot of details that you will forget if you don’t write them down, and these will be important to have.

II. You’ll need to summarize the movie itself for the reader. Assume they haven’t seen it, and tell them the important parts of it so they’ll understand your paper. Don’t go into too much detail, just what’s important, but cover enough so the reader isn’t lost when reading your later analysis.

III. The heart of the paper should be your analysis. Discuss how the themes of the movie relate to class material. What is your assessment of the movie? But don’t give a usual Hollywood review. In an academic paper, the reader is not interested in whether you liked the characters, cinematography, or sound track. What did you think about how it covered sociological themes? Do you think it was a realistic portrayal—why or why not? Do you think the movie will help society deal with a social issue or is it unhelpful in its presentation?

IV. You should include an introductory paragraph that lets the reader know what you’ll be covering in the paper; give them a road map, so to speak, and state your thesis in this paragraph. You should also include a concluding paragraph, in which you wrap up and summarize what you have discussed and argued.

V. Extra research is not required, but it often helps to read reviews of the movie to see what other people are pulling away from the film (you can always find these online), especially reviewers who more keen on the sociological imagination. It can also be helpful to see discussions of what the movie is trying to say, if you have trouble picking up on it with a first viewing. However, remember to avoid plagiarism! You may also want to read a little about the time period or topic, if it’s something we haven’t really covered in class.

Things to think about

1. What is the movie trying to say? How does this relate to class material? Does the movie support or refute what sociology has to say about a social issue?

2. How do the themes show the history and/or significance of the social issue? Do you think it's an accurate portrayal?

3. Is the movie healthy or stereotypical? Does it show people as human beings or does it show them as simplistic stereotypes that contribute to prejudice? This might include gender or racial stereotypes, but also anything based on someone’s social location.

4. If it’s an older movie, do you think the movie reflects common views held by Americans of the past that are no longer held today? Does your contemporary perception of the film reflect changing standards of political correctness?

5. Depending on the time period or setting of the film, do you think the situation is different today or in America versus other countries? Are some things the same but others different? What does the class material suggest?

6. Many films cover themes of individual choices and their consequences rather than the sociological imagination. Do you think the movie leaves out important issues in this way? Does it accurately portray the depth of social problems and the social forces that constrain people’s choices?

General Themes

· Culture

· Socialization

· Social structure and interaction

· Social function and social conflict

· Deviance and social control

· Inequality, class, and poverty

· Race and ethnicity

· Gender and sexism

· Education

· Politics

· Social change

· Globalization

Movies with Sociological Themes

Ali (2001)

American Beauty (1999)

American History X (1998)

American Made (2017)

Antz (1998)

Battle of the Sexes (2017)

Black Panther (2018)

The Breadwinner (2017)

Boyz n the Hood (1991)

But I'm a Cheerleader (1999)

The Campaign (2012)

The Color Purple (1985)

Concussion (2015)

Dallas Buyers Club (2013)

Dead Poets Society (1989)

Dear White People (2014)

Do the Right Thing (1989)

Dr. Strangelove (1964)

Erin Brockovich (2000)

Fences (2016)

Fight Club (1999)

Finding Forrester (2000)

First They Killed My Father (2017)

Freedom Writers (2007)

Full Metal Jacket (1987)

Get Out (2017)

The Great Gatsby (2013)

Guess Who (2005)

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967)

Hacksaw Ridge (2016)

Hairspray (1988)

Hairspray (2007)

The Help (2011)

Hidden Figures (2016)

Higher Learning (1995)

The Hurricane (1999)

To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

A League of Their Own (1992)

The Laramie Project (2002)

Lean on Me (1989)

The Matrix (1999)

Midnight Cowboy (1969)

Moana (2016)

Mona Lisa Smile (2003)

Mr. Holland's Opus (1995)

The Normal Heart (2014)

Office Space (1999)

Pleasantville (1998)

Persepolis (2007)

The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002)

A Raisin in the Sun (1961)

Remember the Titans (2000)

Romero (1989)

The Ron Clark Story (2006)

Room (2015)

The Saint of Fort Washington (1993)

Scarface (1983)

Schindler's List (1993)

Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

Smoke Signals (1998)

Stand and Deliver (1988)

The Social Network (2010)

The Soloist (2009)

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)

Three Kings (1999)

Traffic (2000)

The Tuskegee Airmen (1995)

Wall Street (1987)

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

Wonder Woman (2017)

Zootopia (2016)